class:: Platform
summary:: handle cross-platform differencies
categories:: Platform

description::
The Platform class (along with its subclasses) handles things which differ between operating systems (mac/linux/windows/...), to simplify cross-platform aspects of SuperCollider.

Platform is an abstract class encapsulating various platform dependent constants and properties, such as directories, primitive features and startup files. The platform object is accessible through the code::platform:: method of the main process instance:
code::
thisProcess.platform
::

Currently implemented platforms include: OSXPlatform, LinuxPlatform, WindowsPlatform, UnixPlatform.

classmethods::
Most of Platforms class methods are simply wrappers to code::thisProcess.platform.method::.

subsection:: Platform name and platform dependent actions

method:: case
Perform actions depending on the current platform (name), just like Object:switch:
code::
Platform.case(
    \osx,       { "OSX".postln },
    \linux,     { "Linux".postln },
    \windows,   { "Windows".postln }
);
::

method:: ideName
returns a String indicating which IDE the language believes it is running in. (Often this is determined via the "-i" option to the sclang executable.) This is determined when sclang starts and cannot be changed dynamically.

The main purpose of this is to include/exclude folders from the class search patch depending on which IDE is in use: for example, if the value of ideName is "scapp" then folders named "scide_scapp" are included and all other folders beginning with "scide_" are excluded. The default value of this is "none".

Known IDE names in use are "scapp" (SuperCollider.app on Mac), "scvim" (vim), "scel" (emacs). Others may be used.

subsection:: Directories and filesystem stuff
method:: classLibraryDir
location of the bundled class library

method:: helpDir
location of the bundled help files

method:: systemAppSupportDir
system application support directory

method:: userAppSupportDir
user application support directory

method:: userConfigDir
directory for configuration files

method:: systemExtensionDir
system extension directory (see link::Guides/UsingExtensions::)

method:: userExtensionDir
user extension directory (see link::Guides/UsingExtensions::)

method:: platformDir
platform specific directory for class files (see link::Guides/UsingExtensions::)

method:: pathSeparator
platform specific path separator

method:: resourceDir
platform specific resource directory

method:: defaultTempDir
default directory for temporary files

subsection:: Features

method:: when
Evaluate ifFunction if all features are present, otherwise evaluate elseFunction.
code::
Platform.when(#[\Document, \SCWindow], { "yeehah!".postln });
::

instancemethods::

private:: shutdown, startup

method:: name
returns the platform name

method:: recompile
recompile class library


subsection:: Directories and filesystem stuff
method:: classLibraryDir
location of the bundled class library

method:: helpDir
location of the bundled help files

method:: systemAppSupportDir
system application support directory

method:: userAppSupportDir
user application support directory

method:: userConfigDir
directory for configuration files

method:: systemExtensionDir
system extension directory (see link::Guides/UsingExtensions::)

method:: userExtensionDir
user extension directory (see link::Guides/UsingExtensions::)

method:: platformDir
platform specific directory for class files (see link::Guides/UsingExtensions::)

method:: pathSeparator
platform specific path separator

method:: resourceDir
platform specific resource directory

method:: recordingsDir
recording directory

method:: defaultTempDir
default directory for temporary files



subsection:: Startup files

method:: startupFiles
files to be loaded on startup

method:: loadStartupFiles
(re)load startup files

subsection:: Features

Features are abstract symbols that can be declared by extension authors and be checked during runtime in user code. Apart from explicitly declared features, class and primitive names are implicitly declared.

method:: declareFeature
Declare aSymbol to be a feature present in the runtime. Class names and primitive names cannot be declared as features.

method:: hasFeature
Return true if the feature aSymbol is present in the runtime system. aSymbol can refer to explicitly declared features as well as class and primitive names.
code::
thisProcess.platform.hasFeature(\Object);
thisProcess.platform.hasFeature('_SCWindow_BeginFullScreen');
thisProcess.platform.hasFeature('_myFuncyPrimitive');

thisProcess.platform.declareFeature('superCrazyCompositionSystem');
thisProcess.platform.hasFeature('superCrazyCompositionSystem');
::

method:: when
Evaluate ifFunction if all features are present, otherwise evaluate elseFunction.
code::
thisProcess.platform.when(#[\Document, \SCWindow], { "yeehah!".postln });
::